CHICAGO -- Sean O'Brien scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Southern Illinois gained enough breathing room over the final three minutes to earn a 67-61 win over Loyola-Chicago on Saturday.
O'Brien finished 9 of 11 from the field and had four of the Salukis seven total assists. Mike Rodriguez scored 14 points and Armon Fletcher added 12 for Southern Illinois (14-11, 7-5 Missouri Valley). The Salukis are now 5-2 against their in-state rivals since the Ramblers joined the Missouri Valley in 2014.
Donte Ingram scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Loyola-Chicago (16-9, 6-6), who have now fallen a game behind the Salukis for third place in the conference.